I am trying to help a fellow RAMROD who served with Company C and is not a computer person connect with anyone who was at the Battle of Loc Ninh V,November 27-29, 1968.He wants to get their input on the battle and if any of you want post your thought on this thread please do and I will get them to him.His said that Capt. Tom Kelly, who recently died, was in command of the company and that the company received a Valorous Unit Citation for the action that took place.Thank you for any assistance you may provide.

Larry you might contact Jim Bane he was one of Capt. Kelly's platoon leaders at that time. I was Platoon leader 4.2 platoon at Battalion and at times went out with both A and C companies as fire support. May have been there but don't remember anything about that battle. Was A Company involved?

Interesting 4.2s only went out with A & C companies. Must be because B's mortar platoon was so outstanding. It was cited as the most combat proficient in the division in Oct 68.

We had heard that we had been designated as such but I didn't know if it was true until I ran into Major Hanson in Feb 69, the day before I left Lai Khe. He gave me a note instructing battalion to release a copy of the letter of recognition in his 201 at battalion to me. (Capt Hanson had been B Co Comander at the time of the testing.) I didn't get a chance to go back to battalion before I headed to Di An. So I never asked for the letter. I wish i had now.

Don Tilley was on 43 and I was on 42 when we were tested at Bandit Hill. (41 had hit a mine and hadn't been replaced yet.) The ' funny' thing was, while we were fine being tested, I think the evaluators were more impressed about twenty minutes latter. Don had gone up in the watch tower and, as it was still afternoon, he could see out to the wood-line. He notice some guys out there. So he just shouted down to the fourth platoon to get a gun pointed in that direction, with something like, "They're just East of that stand of tall trees! Aim for those trees!" or such. We did, line of site and estimated the range. Sure enough, just as we fired one, for Don to adjust, they launched a few 82mms. We just about hit them with the first shot and Tilley adjusted with about 'right 25 add 25. Fire for effect!' Still line of site we slipped the gun a little and lower the elevation a touch and started pumping them out. We shouted the azimuth over to 43 gun and they walked them up the azimuth.

With splashing all around them, those dinks 'DEEDEE MAU'ed bookoo quick.No kills but I think some blood trail was found. Regardless, those R.E.F.s conducting the appraisal of the mortar platoons were pretty impressed.

Vernon 'the V is stands for valor' Lloyd was platoon leader at the time, but of course we had also benefited from serving under the previous 4-6, LT R. Brown.

Rich, I remember you being with us in A 2/2 from time to time, John when they tested A Co, they were impressed that our mortar platoon could dump the beer cans out of the tubes and be set up and firing so quickly. dumping the beer cans gave the FO's time to figure the range.

Sorry Larry, I got caught up in the moment, I'm wondering if Loch Nihn battle was the one where A Co, made contact in the rubber, C Co came in and some 1st Cav were brought in, because we were so far out they had to call in 8 inch. See if your bud has any recollection

Thanks for the input guys! I have a question! Was it the 1st Cav or the 11th ACR? My contact seems to remember it being the 11th ACR.

John,Attached is a picture of 41 track. It was take in late February 1967 just prior to the start of Operation Junction City while we were at the Michelin Rubber Plantation at Minh Thanh. It was fairly new at the time because the battalion had become mechanized official on 2 January 1967.Larry G

It could have been the 11th, when we were in diff rent fire fights, I just remember getting calls that friendlies were pulling up on your flank, I didn't pay much attention at the time to who they were, just that they were helping. Also check maybe some of the B Co boys remember Nov, they had a few battles that A Co wasn't at

It was the 1st Cav. After the battle the commanding General of the 1st Cav wrote to Gen Orwin Talbott of the 1st Inf Div as follows: "I have fought the 1st Cavalry Div besides every division in Vietnam, Marines included. Without doubt, the 2d of the 2d is the best battalion in Vietnam."

when I got to RVN I did'nt know which unit I was going to be placed with before hand, well it did'nt take long to find out I had orders to report to theFirst Battalion of the 2nd Regiment of the First Infantry Division at which I was very excited and proud of and could'nt wait to get started with what I was trained for. Well to put it in a nutshell I can honestly say I have no regrets for what I expierienced in my time in the bush and I did it with the best the Army had to offer and thats my fellow comrades, my heart goes out to the family's of the KIA'S on this Memorial Day Weekend, May God's Love and Peace Be Uppon You At This Time Of Loss!!! E-5 mike ogden 1/2 HHC Recon Platoon Black Scarf Battalion Big Red One '68'-'69'

Hello Larry, I was w/ the third platoon during that battle on 33track. The first day contact was made w/ a Blackhorse unit. Since most 11ACR units were ACAV someone must thought that a unit w/ infantry on the ground was needed. Yes Capt. Kelly was our CO but we were escorted by a unit of the 5th ARVN Div. Contact was made about 0800 and lasted all day long. The next day Alpha Co. arrived and once again in the morning we made contact and started all over again. It was one of the few times I can remember two companies moving on line through a bunker complex.

Larry, I maybe getting firefights mixed up, but I think genek and Billy Sly would concur that it was the 1st Cav who showed up that day. I was thinking that the 11th had the 40 mm guns with them and I don't recall that happening.

Larry there is no doubt about it, we were OPCONed to a brigade of the 1st Cav. On the first day while still on the road Capt Kelly was contacted by the 1st Cav and asked for his 'cigar and asked how many pennies did he have'. Capt. Kelly had to confess that he had no idea what he was talking about. As it turns out the cigar was our location and the pennies were the number of men we had. Also be advised that while under 1st Cav. OPCON our helicopter gunship support went from Rebel to the 1st Cav's call sign Blue Max. The enemy was later identified as the141 NVA Inf. Reg. When Alpha arrived we went back to the exact same area as the previous day and found no dead on the ground. They had all night to prepare for our return. Charlie Co. was on line left and Alpha was on line to our right. We won! This was not some silly firefight. This was a battle. It lasted three days. We had many wounded. Earlier in this thread someone mentioned 8inch guns at Quan Loi, yes I saw that battery too. But Capt. Kelly said that the only guns that could reach us were a battery of 175s firing at max. range also out of Quan Loi.....not sure who's right.

I'm sure my memories of those two days are clouded with age but as C-14 my squad was positioned at the extreme right flank during what I believe was day 2 of the battle. Many were wounded near the center of the conflict. We had to go out on foot and "mop-up" any left in the bunkers. They were hard-core types, to be sure. One of the things that stood out to me at the time was after an all-day-long battle, we pulled back and had a Hot Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner! That just blew my mind... and I couldn't help think what the other side was doing at the time. I had forgotten Loc Ninh, I thought it was nearer to An Loc. (shows 'ya how time affects memory) C-1-4 "Carpetbagger"

Larry I was going into some posting and found this one on Loc Ninh Nov 1968. I was there with A Company on my 124 Track. We were called into support the 1st Cavalry, Company C and a 5th ARVN Division(they were leaving as we were going into contact with the 7th NVA Division). Just love the ARVN's. There were a total of 148 NVA KIA those two days. We were very close to the Cambodian Border. I will be at the convention....we can talk. Jim Leslie A Co. July4,68 to July 4,69

Hey Jim, considering that you live in the Port Huron area what will you have for us at the reunion on Fort Gratiot? The 2nd had units stationed there a few times over the years that they were roaming around Michigan. I understand that there is a "park" with a "plaque"!

Larry your are right as rain the 2nd did work this area. Very sad to say there is not much here. The Fort was just under the Blue Water Bridge. There is a park there now and is a great place to watch the boats go by in the St.Clair River. Yes the large stone is there. I will see what they have and get some photos for you. You are also welcome to ride with me and check the area out. Very nice this time of year on the water. For some reason Fort Gratiot has been overlook. The stone is not now on the Fort sight. It is in Pine Grove Park. About a mile away. Jim

My name is Michael Fredson. I was at the battle of LOC NINH V Nov. 27 thru 29, 1968. Lt. James Clark was my platoon leader. I won the Bronze Star with V Device on the 28th of November 1968. Sgt. Carmondy was my Squad leader. I was with the 2nd of the 2nd Charlie Company, I was in Third Platoon, James Clark was my Platoon leader. Capt. Tom Kelly was my Company Commander. If you get this I would like to hear from you. I have pictures and mementos from the fight.

Mike, Welcome home, I was with A Co 2/2, Capt Bowen was our CO, there are a lot of guys from A & C company on this site who were there, we would love to see some of your pics, if you could post them on this site for us that would be great. Also we have a reunion coming up in May in Pigeon Forge, Tenn, we would love to see you there, and hash over old times. Once again welcome home.

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